Paleo Portabella Mushroom Burgers

The recipe represents the beauty of burgers to me.  You can make a burger work in so many ways, and pretty much always, it will work.  Really though…

Want a bready bun?  Cool.  No bread for you?  How about a sweet potato bun, or an open-faced zucchini bun, or a polenta round?  Oh, no bun at all?  No deal, slap some lettuce ’round it.  The world is your oyster.

And forget that bun, let’s talk toppings!  I love caramelized onions and sautéed peppers on my burgers.  Oh you want bacon?  Sure thing.  Avocado, yes please!  Did I hear fried egg?  Umm, huge yes.  And if you’re from the Down Under, I know you’ve tried beets on your burgers!  Speaking of burger… that too can be anything you want it to be!  From beef to bison to turkey to veggies… you can have any or all.

Burgers have got to be one of the most versatile foods out there.  So please, play away if you’d like to add some other things to this guy; don’t feel stuck.  But of course, if you’d like to stick to the script, I think you’ll be pretty darn happy too.  This one’s got a little somethin’ for everyone.

If you’re a fan of condiments like me, you can go nuts loading this guy up (hello HOMEMADE RANCH!).  It doesn’t need much though… and that’s coming from a self-proclaimed condiment queen.  The mushroom caps are pretty sauced up on their own, so they add a lot of flavor, as do the sautéed veggies. But again, the world is your oyster with this one, play as you wish.

I love arugula, so I pile the stuff high, but spinach, kale, or any other green would work well too… this burger screams for a little green.  Goes so well with the sautéed goodness.

makes two burgers

The Players

for the mushrooms…

2 large Portabello mushroom caps

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

for the burger…

1 lb ground meat of choice (beef, turkey, bison, etc)

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp finely minced garlic

2 tbsp minced onion, any color

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1-2 tsp olive oil

for the veggies…

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/2 cup sliced anaheim pepper (or other mild green chile)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil, ghee, or butter

for the toppings…

1 cup fresh arugula (or spinach)

2 fried eggs

optional: sliced avocado, cheese, and/or desired condiments

The How-To

Start with the mushrooms…

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Clean caps and remove stem, if unnecessary.

Place mushrooms bottom-side up in a baking dish.

Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over the caps, then add the thyme, salt and pepper.

Rub the seasonings into the caps until all is evenly distributed.

Roast the mushrooms, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

When you remove them form the oven, they’ll be smothered in liquid…

Ignore that, it’s normal.  😉

Flip them over to release any excess liquid, or shake them off a bit of you’d prefer.

That’s it for the mushies… let them be while you prep the rest.

Prep the burger…

Add the meat, parsley, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper to in a bowl.

Mix the meat together, but don’t over handle… over-worked meat tends to get tough. :/

Shape the burgers into two or three patties (the mister wanted three, two for burgers, one to just nibble… your call).

Tip for burger-shaping: create craters by forming an edge that’s thicker than the center part.  This will help make evenly-cooked burgers. 🙂

Add olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat.

Add the burgers.  Cook for approx 7-10 minutes, depending on preference (less time for medium, more time for well done).

Flip and cook for approx 3-5 minutes more, again depending on preference for meat.

Remove patties and let them rest.

Meanwhile, slice peppers and onion.

Add them to the same pan (you may want to give it a little rinse first), along with salt and pepper.

Add oil, ghee, or butter.  Cook for approx 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often to avoid burning.

Get all desired toppings together.

Fry eggs to your liking.

And there you go….

Ready to assemble!

To serve, plop some arugula over a mushroom patty, bottom-side up.

Place a burger over the greens.

Top with sautéed peppers and onion.

Top with a fried egg and whatever else you may want.

Devour and enjoy.